MATTHEW C. WILLIAMS Educator/Director/Choreographer/Writer 427 Fort Washington Ave #3A, New York, NY 10033 Cell - 646-345-5816 ~ [email protected] www.matthewcwilliamsdirector.com SDC/AEA EDUCATION Masters of Fine Arts in Theater Directing, CUNY Brooklyn College, NY 2018-2020 (May 2020 completion) Specialization in Directing, GPA - 4.00 - Two years of focused directing, coaching, and in-depth character building and play analysis with BFA and MFA actors through course scene work and departmental, main stage productions. Comprehensive study, research, and laboratory work in classic and contemporary theater. Extensive research in theater design, theater history, acting theory and administration. Thesis: directing fully-staged production of Stephen Adly Guirgis', The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance, University of California at Irvine, CA. 1996- 2000 Specialization with Honors in Choreography, GPA - 3.65 Professors: Donald McKayle, David Allan, Mary Corey, Lisa Naugle, Diedre Skylar, Nancy Lee Ruyter, Alan Terricciano, Dennis Castellano, Myrona Delaney, Robert Cohen, Cameron Harvey. UCI Etude Ensemble: member of Donald McKayle's traveling pre-professional dance troupe. Certificate of Professional Acting/Drama, PCPA Theaterfest, CA 1994-1996 Two-Year Professional Actor Training: (BFA in Theater equivalent) Instructors: Paul Mason Barnes, Kitty Balay, Rick Barbour, James Edmonson, Teresa Thuman, Gale Fury-Childs, Brad Carroll, Roger DeLaurier, Ron Heneghan, Jack Greenman, Jack Shouse, Lisa Paulson. Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA 1992-1993 Theater Studies and Acting: With Anet Gillespie Carlin. AWARDS AND HONORS 2019 Harvey Fellows Scholar, Mustard Seed Foundation, $16K annual 2019 Joel Zwick Award for Excellence in Directing, Brooklyn College 2008 New York Musical Festival (NYMF) Award Winner, Best Choreography, Ward 9 2007 New York Musical Festival (NYMF) Award Winner, Best Choreography, Platforms 1999 William J. Gillespie Scholar, UC Irvine, CA 1998 William J. Gillespie Arts Week Scholar, UC Irvine, CA 1997 Tierney Scholar, UC Irvine, CA 1996 Santa Maria Arts Council Award Winner, PCPA, Allan Hancock College, CA TEACHING EXPERIENCE Adjunct Professor, Montclair State University, NJ 2016-2018 Guest Director: Direction of fully-staged, main season musical. Duties included collaboration with faculty, student designers, builders, crafts people and BFA student-actors. Lead the process of pre-production, auditions, rehearsals, and tech to opening night. Worked in concert with the Chair and Dean of the Department on show publicity and communication with show authors. Advanced Theater Dance: Instruction of advanced theater-jazz technique in BFA Musical Theater program. Coached and critiqued performance styles, audition techniques and character building through movement and dance. Adjunct Substitute Professor, Marymount Manhattan College, NYC 2017- Present Intermediate Theater Dance: Instruction of advanced-intermediate level theater- jazz technique in BFA Musical Theater program. Dance Instructor, Steps on Broadway, NYC 2004 - Present Instruction of jazz and musical theater dance for professional adult classes and instruction of ballet, jazz and theater dance for pre-professional youth program. Assisted and facilitated in the creation of boys program and performance skills curriculum in pre-professional program. Created choreography for annual productions. Taught masterclasses to visiting universities and conservatories for Steps international program. Dance Instructor, Princeton Theater and Dance, Princeton, NJ 2007-2018 Instruction of all levels of jazz, theater dance and tap for ages 8-18 and adult beginning level jazz classes. Facilitated the development of jazz program in studio and set choreography for entire jazz department's year-end productions. Assisted students in creation and rehearsal of college audition dance submissions and advised on college application process. Teaching Artist, New York City Ballet Education Department, NYC 2015-2018 Taught for New York City Ballet Education Department's, Nutcracker Project in New York City public school system. Instructed ballet as an accessible art form for in-school residency programs. Promoted student-centered, experiential, and interdisciplinary approaches to learning as aligned with the Common Core Learning Standards and the New York City Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Dance. Worked with classroom teachers to incorporate the arts into literacy and learning. Lead Professional Development sessions and contributed to program curriculum. Teaching Artist, Jaques d'Amboise' National Dance Institute (NDI), NYC 2017-2018 Worked with and trained as an NDI Master Teacher, utilizing and incorporating NDI's renowned teaching methodology. Studied directly with Jaques d'Amboise and other Master Teachers. Created choreography and taught as an NDI teaching artist in NYC public schools. Artist-in-Residence, Jacob's Pillow Musical Theater Program 2012 Residency duties included creation, direction and choreography of an original production number for the Musical Theater program in collaboration with a music director and live band and under the supervision of Chet Walker. Additionally, taught musical theater dance classes for the pre-professional students, aged 18-26. Additional Master Classes in Musical Theater & Acting SLO Little Theater, CA (2016), Allan Hancock College, CA (2015), Steps on Broadway/International Program (2004- Present), University of California at Irvine, CA (2013 & 2004), Kean University, NJ (2006). PROFESSIONAL THEATER - DIRECTING/CHOREOGRAPHY Broadway, Will Ferrell's You're Welcome America, Cort Theater 2009 Served as Choreographer for the Broadway production. Duties included working directly with Will Ferrell and other cast members in the creation of the choreography and movement. Additional responsibilities included collaborating with sound designer on music selection and editing, working with lighting designer on dance sequences, and personal dance training of Patrick Ferrell. I created the choreography for which cast member, Pia Glenn, win the 2009 Astaire Award for Best Female Dancer, in the character of "Condoleezza Rice." The production was nominated for the 2009 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event. Broadway, All About Me with Dame Edna & Michael Feinstein, Sondheim Theater 2010 Served as Assistant Director and Assistant Choreographer to director, Casey Nicholaw. Job duties included collaborating and assisting in the creation of book with Mr. Nicholaw, Dame Edna (Mr. Humphries), Mr. Feinstein and book writer, Christopher Durang. Additionally, I personally coached both leads in the choreography and individually coached Barry Humphries on the production number, "Ladies Who Lunch". I was also responsible leading Mr. Humphries through a physical pre-show warm-up throughout preview performance period. Broadway, Gypsy starring Bernadette Peters, Shubert Theater 2003 Served as an SDC Observer/associate to Jerry Mitchell on the Broadway revival, directed by Sam Mendes. From first rehearsal to opening night, tasks included observing and assisting Mr. Mitchell on production choreography and staging. Also observed and participated in rehearsal process with Mr. Mendes and had daily interactions and production related conversations with Ms. Peters. Off-Broadway, Carrie the Musical - Labs to Revival 2010-2012 Served as Choreographer for the revivification process including two Equity Labs and the Off-Broadway opening with MCC theater. Responsibilities included participation in the re-visioning of the musical staging and story. Served as choreographer and story collaborator with the director, Stafford Arima and authors, Michael Gore and Lawrence D. Cohen. Worked closely with actors Karen Olivio, Stark Sands, Marin Mazzie and Annaliegh Ashford in Equity Lab process. Assisted in casting of all labs and final production. Off-Broadway, Rooms a Rock Romance - Development to Opening Night 2007-2009 Served as Choreographer for the dance and movement for both the premiere New York Musical Theater Festival production and for the Off-Broadway transfer at New World Stages, NYC. Helped to create the inclusion of dance and movement into the story in collaboration with the book writer, Miriam Gordan, composer, Paul Scott Goodman and director, Scott Schwartz. Also re-set choreography for transfer productions at Metro Stage in D.C. and Geva Theater in NY. New York City Opera, Seance on a Wet Afternoon, a Stephen Schwartz Opera 2009-2011 Served as Choreographer for the premiere at Opera Santa Barbara and for the transfer to New York City Opera. Duties included creating the chorus choreography for the production and assisting in the development of the movement language with director, Scott Schwartz and Stephen Schwartz. Big Apple Circus, Legendarium 2012 Served as Assistant Director to West Hyler. Job tasks included collaboration and consultation with director on production content, supervising and facilitating the transfer of information and staging from the director to production circus artists, and creating original staging and choreography for Dalian Chinese Bicycle Troupe and production finale. Additionally, consulted on music selections and arrangements with musical director and show director. Acted as liaison between artistic personnel, designers and management and director in both artistic and practical daily matters. Ward 9, an original dance play, New York Musical Festival, NYC 2008 Writer, Co-director, Producer and Choreographer of an